Packaging case

ABSTRACT

A packaging case comprises a case body including a bottom plate and a peripheral wall surrounding the bottom plate; and a holding member including a contact region and a coupling part, the contact region having a contact surface to be in contact with an article to be housed from above the article to be housed, in case that the article to be housed is provided on a surface of the bottom plate inside the case body, and the coupling part being directly or indirectly connectable to the bottom plate and/or the peripheral wall.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a packaging case comprising a holding member for holding an article to be housed during transportation.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, when transporting or storing a liquid crystal panel, a packaging case for housing the liquid crystal panel is used. As such a packaging case, Patent document 1 discloses a container for transporting a panel to be used when transporting a plurality of liquid crystal panels.

The container for transporting a panel being disclosed in Patent document 1 comprises a container body; a lid for closing the container body; and holding pieces being provided to a peripheral wall of the container body and protruding from the inner surface of the peripheral wall. A panel being arranged inside the container body is held by contacting the holding pieces with end faces of four sides of the panel.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENT Patent Document

-   Patent Document 1: JP 2014-193738 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention

However, as in Patent document 1, in a structure to be in contact with the end faces of four sides of a panel to suppress shaking of the panel, in case that an additional element such as a circuit board is connected to any one of the four sides of the panel, contactable positions in the end faces of the panel are limited. Moreover, in case that a holding piece in contact with an end face of the panel is provided at a corner of the panel so as to avoid the above-mentioned additional element, the contact area between the holding piece and the end face of the panel is insufficient. Therefore, in case that a large force is applied between the end face of the panel and the holding piece when a transport vehicle is braked or travels on a curve, a force can be applied locally to the corner of the panel via the holding piece, causing the corner of the panel to break. Even in case that there is no above-mentioned additional element in the panel, load can be applied between the end face of the four sides of the panel and the holding piece, causing a breakage of the panel.

Thus, in view of such problems as described in the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a packaging case that makes it possible to suppress load being applied to an end face of a panel and to hold the panel in a container body even in a case that an additional element such as a circuit board is provided to the panel.

Means to Solve the Problem

A packaging case according to one embodiment of the invention comprises: a case body including a bottom plate and a peripheral wall surrounding the bottom plate; and a holding member including a contact region and a coupling part, the contact region having a contact surface to be in contact with an article to be housed from above the article to be housed in case that the article to be housed is provided on a surface of the bottom plate inside the case body, and the coupling part being directly or indirectly connectable to the bottom plate and/or the peripheral wall, wherein the contact region has an adhering part on the contact surface.

Effects of the Invention

The packaging case according to the present invention makes it possible to suppress load being applied to an end face of a panel and to hold the panel in a container body even in a case that an additional element such as a circuit board or a driver is provided to the panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an overall perspective view of a packaging case according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the packaging case in which a panel module is being housed.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of the packaging case around a holding member, the cross-sectional view being cut along a line III-HI in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a partial enlarged view illustrating a portion around the holding member being provided to a first peripheral wall shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 schematically shows a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3, showing a plurality of panel modules arranged in a stack being held by single holding member.

FIG. 6 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the structure of the holding member, the cross-sectional view being cut along a line VI-VI in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a variation of the holding member.

FIG. 8 shows a plan view of a packaging case according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 shows a plan view of a packaging case according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

EMBODIMENT FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiment 1

Below, with reference to the drawings, a packaging case according to one embodiment of the invention is described. The packaging case according to the invention is not limited to the embodiments below.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a packaging case 1 according to the embodiment comprises a case body 2, and a holding member 3 to hold an article A to be housed in the case body 2. As described below, in the packaging case 1 according to the embodiment, the holding member 3 comprises a contact surface Su1 (see FIG. 3) to be in contact with the article A to be housed from above the article A to be housed. The contact surface Su1 has an adhering part 31 (see FIG. 6). The adhering part 31 of the holding member 3 mounted to the case body 2 is in contact with the article A to be housed and is adhered the article A to be housed. Accordingly, the article A to be housed is held inside the case body 2.

The packaging case 1 houses single or a plurality of articles A to be housed, for example, when transporting or storing the article(s) A to be housed. The article A to be housed in the packaging case 1 comprises a main portion A1, and an additional portion A2 being connected to a peripheral edge of the main portion A1. In the embodiment, the main portion A1 and the additional portion A2 of the article A to be housed are connected via a connecting portion A3 for connecting the additional portion A2 to the peripheral edge of the main portion A1.

Specifically, in the embodiment, the article A to be housed is a panel module. The panel module comprises a panel which is the main portion A1 and a circuit board, which is the additional portion A2, connected to the peripheral edge of the panel. The panel and the circuit board are connected via a flexible board, which is the connecting portion A3. Below, reference letters A1, A2, A3, and A being the same as those of the main portion, the additional portion, the connecting portion, and the article to be housed will be used to describe the panel, the circuit board, the flexible board, and the panel module, respectively.

In the embodiment, the panel A1 of the panel module A is formed in a rectangular shape having four edges as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The panel A1 is a panel for a display apparatus, such as a liquid crystal panel, for example. The panel A1 has a first surface A11 (the upper surface of the panel A1 in FIG. 3) which is a front surface of the panel A1 and a second surface A12 which is a rear surface of the panel A1 as shown in FIG. 3. A protective sheet (not shown) for protecting the panel A1 is stuck to the first surface A11 of the panel A1. The adhering part 31 of the holding member 3 makes a contact with the first surface A11 of the panel A1 via the protective sheet, so that the adhering part 31 does not make a contact directly with the display surface of the panel A1. Therefore, stain of the display surface of the panel A1 caused by the adhering part 31 of the holding member 3 is prevented.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the panel A1 has a first edge E1, a second edge E2 extending perpendicular to the first edge E1, a third edge E3 extending in parallel with the first edge E1 and perpendicular to the second edge E2, and a fourth edge E4 extending in parallel with the second edge. The circuit board A2 is provided to the third edge E3 and the fourth edge E4 via the flexible board A3. In the embodiment, a plurality of the circuit boards A2 are provided along an extending direction of the third edge E3 (hereinafter referred to as a horizontal direction D1). The circuit boards A2 being provided to the third edge E3 extend to two corners of the panel A1 to be the opposite ends of the third edge E3. Similarly, a plurality of the circuit boards A2 provided to the fourth edge E4 are provided along an extending direction of the fourth edge E4 (hereinafter referred to as a vertical direction D2). The circuit boards A2 being provided to the fourth edge E4 extend to two corners of the panel A1 to be the opposite ends of the fourth edge E4. The circuit board A2 is not provided to the first edge E1 and the second edge E2.

In the embodiment, the panel module A in which the circuit boards A2 are provided to the third edge E3 and the fourth edge E4 of four edges of the panel A1 is exemplified. However, the structure of the panel module A is not limited to the structure shown. The circuit board A2 may be provided to at least one edge of the four edges E1 to E4 of the panel A1 in the panel module A. While the circuit boards A2 extend to the two corners of the panel A1 to be the opposite ends of the edge to which the circuit board A2 is provided in the embodiment, it does not necessarily have to extend to the two corners of the panel A1. Moreover, the circuit boards A2 can be arranged such that the circuit boards A2 are mutually separated along the edge to which the circuit boards A2 are provided. Furthermore, the circuit board A2 may not be provided to any one of the four edges E1 to E4 of the panel A1 in the panel module A.

The article to be housed is not limited to the panel module A. The article to be housed may be another device or item to be housed and protected in the packaging case 1. As long as the article A to be housed can be held by the below-described holding member 3, the shape of the article A to be housed is not limited to the rectangular shape. The number of articles A to be housed in the packaging case 1 is not particularly limited.

The case body 2 houses therein the panel module A being the article to be housed. As shown in FIG. 1, the case body 2 is a box-like body in which an opening having the size to allow the panel module A to be housed inside the case body 2 is formed, and includes a bottom plate 21, and a peripheral wall 22 surrounding the bottom plate 21. The panel module A is arranged on a surface 21 a of the bottom plate 21 inside the case body 2 to be defined by the surface 21 a of the bottom plate 21 and an inner surface IS of the peripheral wall 22. In the embodiment, the panel module A is arranged substantially parallel with the bottom plate 21 when housing the panel module A into the case body 2. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of panel modules A are stacked and housed in the case body 2. The size of the case body 2 may be appropriately changed in accordance with the size of the article to be housed such as the panel module A, or the number of articles to be housed. In the embodiment, the case body 2 is set to the size having a gap (see FIGS. 2 and 3) between the outer periphery of the panel module A including the circuit boards A2 and the inner surface IS of the peripheral wall 22 in case that the panel module A is placed in the case body 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, a spacer S is provided between the plurality of panel modules A, preventing contact between the display panels A1. For example, the spacer S may be a thin plate being configured with a foamed resin, for example. Moreover, the spacer S may be an adhesive sheet being configured with an adhesive material such as silicone gel, for example. In case that the spacer S is the adhesive sheet, it can be suppressed that the stacked plurality of panel modules A move in the horizontal direction D1 and the vertical direction D2 with respect to each other.

A material constituting the case body 2 is not particularly limited. The case body 2 may be formed using a deformable material allowing absorption of shock applied to the panel module A when transporting the packaging case 1, for example. The deformable material may be an elastic material such as a synthetic resin foam or rubber, for example. At least a part of the case body 2 may be formed with the deformable material. For example, the entire case body 2 may be formed with the deformable material, or one part of the case body 2 may be formed with the deformable material and the other part of the case body 2 may be formed with a rigid material such as a metal or a rigid resin.

The shape of the case body 2 is not particularly limited as long as the case body 2 can house therein an article to be housed such as the panel module A. In the embodiment, the bottom plate 21 of the case body 2 has a rectangular shape and the peripheral wall 22 extends substantially perpendicular to the bottom plate 21 from the outer periphery of the bottom plate 21. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the peripheral wall 22 comprises a first peripheral wall 22 a, a second peripheral wall 22 b being provided perpendicular to the first peripheral wall 22 a, a third peripheral wall 22 c being provided in parallel with the first peripheral wall 22 a and perpendicular to the second peripheral wall 22 b, and a fourth peripheral wall 22 d being provided in parallel with the second peripheral wall 22 b. The opening of the case body 2 may be closed by a lid (not shown). Moreover, the plurality of case bodies 2 may be stacked to cause the opening of one case body 2 to be closed by the rear surface of the bottom plate 21 of another case body 2.

In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the peripheral wall 22 (the first peripheral wall 22 a and the second peripheral wall 22 b) has a fixing portion 221 for fixing the below-described engaging member 4 to which the holding member 3 is mounted. When the engaging member 4 is fixed to the fixing portion 221, it is suppressed that the holding member 3 connected to the engaging member 4 moves relative to the peripheral wall 22.

The structure of the fixing portion 221 is not particularly limited as long as the movement of the engaging member 4 relative to the peripheral wall 22 can be suppressed. In the embodiment, the fixing portion 221 is a recess into which the engaging member 4 is fitted as shown in FIG. 1. The fixing portion 221 has wall portions to W4 (hereinafter referred to as a wall portion W) to restrict the movement of the engaging member 4 relative to the fixing portion 221 when the engaging member 4 is mounted to the fixing portion 221 (see FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 4, the wall portion W has the first wall portion W1 and the second wall portion W2 to abut the engaging member 4 in the longitudinal direction of the peripheral wall 22 having the fixing portion 221 when the engaging member 4 is mounted to the fixing portion 221. Moreover, the wall portion W has the third wall portion W3 and the fourth wall portion W4 to abut the engaging member 4 in a direction being perpendicular to the inner surface IS of the peripheral wall 22 having the fixing portion 221 when the engaging member 4 is mounted to the fixing portion 221. For convenience of explanations, in FIG. 4, the interval between the wall portion W and the engaging member 4 is shown to be greater than the actual interval.

Specifically, in a fixing portion 221 a (see FIG. 1) being provided in the first peripheral wall 22 a extending in the horizontal direction D1, the first wall portion W1 and the second wall portion W2 abut the engaging member 4 in the horizontal direction D1. Moreover, in the fixing portion 221 a, the third wall portion W3 and the fourth wall portion W4 abut the engaging member 4 in the vertical direction D2. The third wall portion W3 is a wall portion which the engaging member 4 abuts when the engaging member 4 moves inward of the case body 2 in a direction being perpendicular to the inner surface IS of the peripheral wall 22. The fourth wall portion W4 is a wall portion which the engaging member 4 abuts when the engaging member 4 moves outward of the case body 2 in a direction being perpendicular to the inner surface IS of the peripheral wall 22.

Similarly, a fixing portion 221 b provided in the second peripheral wall 22 b extending in the vertical direction D2 has the first wall portion W1 and the second wall portion W2 to abut the engaging member 4 in the vertical direction D2. Moreover, the fixing portion 221 b has the third wall portion W3 and the fourth wall portion W4 to abut the engaging member 4 in the vertical direction D2.

The fixing portion 221 may be provided not in the peripheral wall 22, but in the bottom plate 21 of the case body 2. In this case, the fixing portion 221 may be, for example, a recess being recessed with respect to the surface 21 a of the bottom plate 21 with which the panel A1 makes a contact. In the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fixing portion 221 is recessed toward an outer surface OS from the inner surface IS of the peripheral wall 22, and in the height direction of the peripheral wall 22 (up-down directions in FIG. 3), the fixing portion 221 is recessed such that a stepped portion is formed with respect to the surface 21 a of the bottom plate 21. The stepped portion between the fixing portion 221 and the surface 21 a of the bottom plate 21 configures the third wall portion W3 of the above-described wall portions W1 to W4.

The fixing portion 221 is not limited to the recess. The fixing portion 221 may be configured with a projection to protrude from the bottom plate 21 and/or the peripheral wall 22, which projection can suppress movement of the engaging member 4 relative to the fixing portion 221.

The number of the fixing portion 221 to be provided in the peripheral wall 22 is not particularly limited. In the embodiment, two of the fixing portions 221 are provided in the first peripheral wall 22 a such that the fixing portions 221 are mutually separated in the horizontal direction D1 and two of the fixing portions 221 are provided in the second peripheral wall 22 b such that the fixing portions 221 are mutually separated in the vertical direction D2. However, it suffices that the fixing portion 221 is provided in a number being equal to or greater than the number of holding members 3 to be provided in the longitudinal direction of each of the peripheral walls 22. Thus, in accordance with the number of holding members 3, the fixing portions 221 may be provided at one position in each of the peripheral walls 22 or at a plurality of positions in each of the peripheral walls 22. Moreover, while the fixing portion 221 is provided in only the first peripheral wall 22 a and the second peripheral wall 22 b in the embodiment, the fixing portion 221 may be provided in the third peripheral wall 22 c and the fourth peripheral wall 22 d.

The engaging member 4 is mounted to the fixing portion 221 of the case body 2 and the holding member 3 is connected to the engaging member 4. In this way, the holding member 3 is fixed to the bottom plate 21 and/or the peripheral wall 22. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the engaging member 4 has a base part 41 and a coupled part 42. The base part 41 is fixed to the fixing portion 221 provided in the bottom plate 21 and/or the peripheral wall 22 and is mounted to the case body 2. The coupled part 42 is connected to the holding member 3.

The base part 41 is fixed to the fixing portion 221 to suppress the movement of the fixing portion 221 relative to the engaging member 4. Accordingly, the movement of the holding member 3 connected to the engaging member 4 relative to the case body 2 is suppressed. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the base part 41 has a first abutting portion 41 a and a second abutting portion 41 b to abut the first wall portion W1 and the second wall portion W2, respectively, of the fixing portion 221. Moreover, the base part 41 has a third abutting portion 41 c and a fourth abutting portion 41 d to abut the third wall portion W3 and the fourth wall portion W4, respectively, of the fixing portion 221. The first to fourth abutting portions 41 a to 41 d of the base part 41 can abut the first wall portion W1 to the fourth wall portion W4, respectively, of the fixing portion 221. Therefore, the movement of the engaging member 4 relative to the fixing portion 221 is suppressed. Accordingly, the movement of the holding member 3 relative to the case body 2 is restricted.

The shape and structure of the base part 41 are not particularly limited as long as the base part 41 can be fixed to the fixing portion 221 and the movement of the fixing portion 221 relative to the engaging member 4 can be suppressed.

The coupled part 42 is a part to which the holding member 3 is connected. When the coupling part 3 a (described below) of the holding member 3 is connected to the coupled part 42, the holding member 3 is connected to the case body 2 indirectly via the engaging member 4. When the coupling part 3 a of the holding member 3 is connected to the coupled part 42, the coupled part 42 suppresses the movement of the holding member 3 relative to the engaging member 4 in the longitudinal direction of the peripheral wall 22 and a direction being perpendicular to the inner surface IS of the peripheral wall 22. In this way, the movement of the holding member 3 relative to the engaging member 4 in the horizontal direction D1 and the vertical direction D2 is suppressed.

The shape and structure of the coupled part 42 is not particularly limited as long as the coupling part 3 a of the holding member 3 is connected to ensure that the holding member 3 does not move relative to the engaging member 4 in the horizontal direction D1 and the vertical direction D2. In the embodiment, the coupled part 42 is configured with a projection protruded from the base part 41 in a direction being perpendicular to the surface 21 a of the bottom plate 21. In FIG. 1, the coupled part 42 is configured with two rod-like bodies each protruding from the base part 41. The coupled part 42 may be, for example, a plate-like body or a recess in accordance with the shape and structure of the coupling part 3 a of the holding member 3.

In the packaging case 1, the engaging member 4 is an arbitrary configuration, so that a coupled part being connectable to the coupling part 3 a of the holding member 3 may be provided integrally to the bottom plate 21 and/or the peripheral wall 22 to mount the holding member 3 directly to the bottom plate 21 and/or the peripheral wall 22. The coupled part in this case may have the same configuration as that of the coupled part 42 of the engaging member 4 as described in the above.

The holding member 3 is in contact with the panel A1 of the panel module A from above the panel A1 and is adhered to the panel A1. Accordingly, the movement of the panel module A inside the case body 2 is suppressed. As shown in FIG. 4, the holding member 3 includes a contact region 3 b and the coupling part 3 a. The contact region 3 b has the contact surface Su1 to be in contact with the panel A1 from above the panel A1. The coupling part 3 a is directly or indirectly connectable to the bottom plate 21 and/or the peripheral wall 22. The holding member 3 includes a non-contact region 3 c to be in non-contact with the panel A1. The non-contact region 3 c continuously extends from the contact region 3 b, and the coupling part 3 a is formed in the non-contact region 3 c. As shown in FIG. 3, the contact region 3 b refers to a predetermined region of the holding member 3, the contact region 3 b being set as a region overlapping a first surface A11 of the panel A1. The contact region 3 b is adhered to the first surface A11 of the panel A1. The non-contact region 3 c refers to a predetermined region of the holding member 3, the non-contact region 3 c having a coupling part 3 a and being set as a region not overlapping the first surface A11 of the panel A1. As shown in FIG. 6, the contact region 3 b has the adhering part 31 on the contact surface Su1.

In the embodiment, the holding member 3 is adhered to the first surface (the upper surface) A11 of the panel A1 by the adhering part 31. As shown in FIG. 3, each of the holding members 3 is adhered to respective one of the plurality of panels A1 being arranged in a stack. In FIG. 3, spacers may be provided between the non-contact regions 3 c of the plurality of holding members 3 being separated in the height direction of the peripheral wall 22.

As shown in FIG. 5, a single holding member 3 may be adhered to only the single panel A1 of the plurality of panels A1 being arranged in a stack. In this case, the movement between the plurality of panels A1 relative to each other in the horizontal direction D1 and the vertical direction D2 can be suppressed with the above-described adhesive sheets, as spacers S, being provided between the plurality of panels A1, for example. In this case, it is cost effective since it is not necessary to adhere the holding member 3 to all the plurality of panels A1.

In the embodiment, the holding member 3 has a sheet shape. Therefore, additional space is not needed in the thickness direction of the panel A1 when the holding member 3 is adhered to the panel A1. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3, the holding members 3 do not prevent stacking of the panel module A inside the case body 2.

In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the holding member 3 has a base 32. The adhering part 31 is layered on the base 32. The adhering part 31 is configured with an adhesive agent being applied on the base 32. Before the holding member 3 is adhered to the panel A1, the holding member 3 may have a peeling paper (not shown) to cover the adhering part 31.

The base 32 is a sheet material to function as a support for the adhering part 31. The material for the base 32 is not particularly limited as long as the material has a predetermined rigidity and can be easily adhered to the panel A1. Various resin materials such as polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyimide, polypropylene, for example, may be used for the base 32.

The adhesive agent to be used for the adhering part 31 is not particularly limited as long as the adhering state between the holding member 3 and the panel A1 is maintained when load is applied to the panel A1. As the adhesive agent, an acrylic adhesive agent can be used, for example. While the adhesive force of the adhesive agent is not particularly limited, adhesive force of the adhesive agent to the non-alkaline glass is preferably equal to or greater than 5N/25 mm and equal to or less than 20N/25 mm and more preferably equal to or greater than 10N/25 mm and equal to or less than 15N/25 mm. The adhesive force being equal to or greater than 5N/25 mm can suppress an occurrence of peeling off between the adhering part 31 of the holding member 3 and the panel A1 when load is applied to the panel A1. The adhesive force being equal to or greater than 10N/25 mm causes the panel A1 to be more stably held by the holding member 3. Moreover, the adhesive force being equal to or less than 20N/25 mm causes the holding member 3 to be removed from the panel A1 easily. The adhesive force being equal to or less than 15N/25 mm causes the holding member 3 to be removed from the panel A1 more easily, causing a good handling of the holding member 3.

While the thickness of the holding member 3 having a sheet shape is not particularly limited, the thickness of the holding member 3 at the contact region 3 b is preferably equal to or less than that of the spacer S to be arranged between a pair of panel modules A being stacked, for example. In this case, even when the holding members 3 are adhered to the first surfaces A11 of the respective panels A1, as shown in FIG. 3, the holding member 3 can be adhered to the first surface A11 of the panel A1 in a space being formed between the plurality of panels A1 being arranged in a stack via the spacer S. Therefore, no influence is given to the number of panels A1 to be housed, such as the number of panels to be housed in the case body 2 decreasing caused by the holding members 3 adhered to the panels A1. While the thickness of the holding member 3 at the contact region 3 b (the thickness of the base 32 in the embodiment) is not particularly limited, it is preferably equal to or greater than 0.05 mm and equal to or less than to 1.0 mm, for example, and is more preferably equal to or greater than 0.1 mm and equal to or less than 0.3 mm, for example. The thickness of the holding member 3 being equal to or greater than 0.5 mm and equal to or less than 1.0 ruin causes no influence to the number of the panels A1 to be housed and causes a good handling when the holding member 3 is adhered to the panel A1. Moreover, in case that the thickness of the holding member 3 is equal to or greater than 0.1 mm and equal to or less than 0.3 mm, handling when the holding member 3 is adhered to the panel A1 is further improved. In the holding member 3, the thickness of the contact region 3 b may be different from that of the non-contact region 3 c. For example, the thickness of the contact region 3 b may be brought to be less than that of the non-contact region 3 c.

The holding member 3 may have the strength to prevent the holding member 3 itself or the case body 2 or the panel A1 from being broken when predetermined load is applied to the panel A1. The holding member 3 preferably has the tensile strength being equal to or greater than 50 MPa, for example. In a case that the tensile strength of the holding member 3 is equal to or greater than 50 MPa, when predetermined load is applied to the panel A1, movement of the panel A1 may be suppressed stably and hold the panel A1 in a predetermined position without causing the holding member 3 to be broken.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the embodiment, the shape of the holding member 3 having the sheet shape when the holding member 3 is viewed from a direction being perpendicular to the contact surface Su1 is substantially rectangular. However, the shape of the holding member 3 is not particularly limited. Moreover, the size of the holding member 3 is not particularly limited as long as the holding member 3 has a predetermined adhering area to make it possible to suppress movement of the panel A1 when it is adhered to the panel A1. The size of the holding member 3 is appropriately changed in accordance with the size or the weight of the panel A1. Preferably, the length of the holding member 3 in a direction along the peripheral wall 22 is, for example, 5 to 20% of the length of the edge of the panel A1, to which edge the holding member 3 is adhered, and the length of the holding member 3 in a direction being perpendicular to the inner surface IS of the peripheral wall 22 is, for example, 10 to 40% of the length of the edge being orthogonal to the edge of the panel A1, to which edge the holding member 3 is adhered. Arranging the size of the holding member 3 to be the above-described size makes it possible to easily adhere to the holding member 3 to the panel A1 and to stably suppress movement of the panel.

The coupling part 3 a is directly or indirectly connected to the bottom plate 21 and/or the peripheral wall 22 to connect the holding member 3 to the case body 2. In the embodiment, the coupling part 3 a of the holding member 3 is connected to the coupled part 42 of the engaging member 4 to locate the holding member 3 in a predetermined position with respect to the case body 2. The coupling part 3 a is connected to the coupled part 42 such that the holding member 3 does not move relative to the case body 2 (the engaging member 4) in the horizontal direction D1 and the vertical direction D2 when predetermined load to move holding member 3 together with the panel A1 is applied to the panel A1 to which the holding member 3 is adhered. The holding member 3 suppresses the movement of the panel A1 inside the case body 2, therefore, it is suppressed that the circuit board A2, or the end face or the corner of the panel A1 of the panel module A is broken. Details on these points will be described below.

The shape and structure of the coupling part 3 a is not particularly limited as long as the coupling part 3 a may be connected to the coupled part 42 such that the holding member 3 does not move relative to the case body 2 (the engaging member 4) in the horizontal direction D1 and the vertical direction D2. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the coupling part 3 a has a through hole H into which the coupled part 42 having a rod shape is inserted. When predetermined load is applied to the panel A1 and a force to move the holding member 3 is applied from the panel A1, the peripheral edge of the through hole H abuts the outer periphery of the rod-shaped coupled part 42. In this way, even when predetermined load to move the holding member 3 together with the panel A1 in the horizontal direction in the case body 2, the peripheral edge of the through hole H engages the coupled part 42 to cause the movement of the panel. A1 and the holding member 3 to be suppressed. It is sufficient that the coupling part 3 a can restrict the movement of the holding member 3 relative to the case body 2 to a predetermined range in at least the horizontal direction D1 and the vertical direction D2. It should be noted that a predetermined clearance may be provided between the coupling part 3 a and the coupled part 42 when the coupling part 3 a is connected to the coupled part 42.

In the embodiment, the coupling part 3 a has circular through holes H. The coupling part 3 a may have an engaging portion according to the shape of the coupled part 42. For example, the coupling part 3 a may have a shape and structure being different from those of the coupling part 3 a shown, such as a rectangular through hole or an engaging projection, with which shape and structure the coupling part 3 a may engage the coupled part 42 of the engaging member 4.

The holding member 3 may have a reinforcing member 33 in the non-contact region 3 c. The reinforcing member 33 increases the strength at a position in which the coupling part 3 a engage the coupled part 42 when predetermined load is applied to the panel A1. In this way, it is suppressed that the coupling part 3 a is broken due to the load applied to the panel A1. The reinforcing member 33 may be a sheet material to be layered on the base 32 as shown in FIG. 6, for example. The thickness of the holding member 3 at the coupling part 3 a is increased because of the reinforcing member 33 to increase the strength at the coupling part 3 a. Therefore, breaking of the coupling part 3 a and the movement of the panel A1 are suppressed when a large force is applied between the coupling part 3 a of the holding member 3 and the coupled part 42 caused by the load being applied to the panel A1. The material of the reinforcing member 33 is not particularly limited. The material of the reinforcing member 33 to be layered on the base may be the same as that for the base 32, or the reinforcing member 33 may be a material having the rigidity being greater than that of the base 32. For example, in addition to the resin material being exemplified with respect to the base 32, for example, a metal-made thin plate (iron, stainless steel, or aluminum material) can be used for the reinforcing member 33.

In the embodiment, the reinforcing member 33 is provided on the contact surface Su1 of the holding member 3 being sheet shaped as shown in FIG. 6. However, the surface on which the reinforcing member 33 is to be provided is not limited to the contact surface Su1 of the holding member 3. The reinforcing member 33 may be provided on a surface Su2 being opposite to the contact surface Su1, or the reinforcing member 33 may be provided on the opposite surfaces of the holding member 3.

Moreover, in case that the reinforcing member 33 is provided in addition to the base 32, a resistance force to the compression force to be applied to the non-contact region 3 c of the holding member 3 may be increased. For example, when predetermined load is applied in a direction toward the coupled part 42 to which the coupling part 3 a of the holding member 3 is connected (the left direction in FIG. 6), it is suppressed that an end face AE of the panel A1 abuts the peripheral wall 22 since the rigidity of the coupling part 3 a is improved by the reinforcing member 33. Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the reinforcing member 33 being sheet shaped may be provided on the surface Su2 being opposite to the contact surface Su1 of the holding member 3 such that the reinforcing member 33 extends to the contact region 3 a from the non-contact region 3 c. In FIG. 7, the reinforcing member 33 a covers the non-contact region 3 c and covers a part of the contact region 3 a beyond the border between the non-contact region 3 c and the contact region 3 a. In this case, the holding member 3 can further increase the resistance force against the compression force received due to load applied to the panel A1. In FIG. 7, a reinforcing member 33 b (a second reinforcing member) is provided on the contact surface Su1 of the holding member 3 in addition to a reinforcing member 33 a (a first reinforcing member) being provided on the surface Su2 of the holding member 3. In case that the reinforcing member 33 a is provided, the thickness of the holding member 3 in a region overlapping the panel A1 (thickness of the reinforcing member 33 a and the base 32) is preferably equal to or less than the thickness of the spacer S.

To resist the compression force to be applied to the non-contact region 3 c of the holding member 3, an abutting piece (not shown) may be provided as an additional element in addition to the holding member 3. The abutting piece may be interposed between the end surface AE of the panel A1 and the peripheral wall 22 to abut the end face AE of the panel A1. Since the reinforcing member 33 can increase the resistance force to the compression force to be applied to the non-contact region 3 c of the holding member 3, the contact pressure between the abutting piece and the end face AE of the panel A1 may be reduced so that breaking of the end face AE of the panel A1 is suppressed.

Next, a method of use of the packaging case 1 and an effect of the holding member 3 in the embodiment are described. The method of use below is merely one example, so that the invention is not limited by the description below.

First, the panel module A is located on the bottom plate 21 in the case body 2 such that the outer periphery of the panel module A (the first edge E1, the second edge E2, and the circuit board A2 of the panel A1) is separated with respect to the first peripheral wall 22 a to the fourth peripheral wall 22 d. After the panel module A is located, the engaging member 4 is mounted to the fixing portion 221 a of the first peripheral wall 22 a and the fixing portion 221 b of the second peripheral wall 22 b of the case body 2. After the engaging member 4 is mounted to the fixing portions 221 a and 221 b, the coupling part 3 a of the holding member 3 is connected to the coupled part 42 of the engaging member 4. And then, a peeling paper to cover the adhering part 31 of the holding member 31 is peeled off and the adhering part 31 is adhered to the first surface A11 of the panel A1 (see FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 2, the holding member 3 extends inwardly inside the case body 2 in a direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the peripheral wall 22 to which the holding member 3 is mounted. In the first peripheral wall 22 a, two of the holding members 3 are separated from each other in the horizontal direction D1 to be the longitudinal direction of the first peripheral wall 22 a and adhered to the panel A1. In the second peripheral wall 22 b, two of the holding members 3 are separated from each other in the vertical direction D2 to be the longitudinal direction of the second peripheral wall 22 b and adhered to the panel A1. After the holding member 3 is adhered to the one panel A1, the spacer S is arranged on the panel A1, another panel A1 is arranged on the spacer S, and, similarly, the holding member 3 is adhered thereto. In this way, the holding member 3 is adhered to a plurality of panels A1, a lid is placed on the case body 2 to complete the packing operation.

When the plurality of panels A1 are housed inside the case body 2, the packaging case 1 is transported by a vehicle such as a truck. Load is applied to the panel A1 being housed inside the case body 2 when the vehicle is braked or travels on a curve during transportation of the packaging case 1. For example, explanations will be given below with a case in which the case body 2 is loaded such that the lower end (the third peripheral wall 22 c) in FIG. 2 is to be the front of the vehicle and the upper end (the first peripheral wall 22 a) in FIG. 2 is to be the rear of the vehicle as an example.

In case that a vehicle is suddenly braked, a force to move the panel A1 downward in FIG. 2 with respect to the case body 2 is applied due to inertial force to the panel A1 being housed in the case body 2. In case that such a force is applied to the panel A1, since the holding member 3 fixed to the first peripheral wall 22 a is adhered to the first surface A11 of the panel A1 by the adhering part 31, the holding member 3 receives a tensile force in the downward direction in FIG. 2 to suppress the movement of the panel A1 downward. Therefore, the circuit board A2 is held at a predetermined position inside the case body 2 without colliding with the third peripheral wall 22 c.

Moreover, in case that a vehicle travels on a sharp curve, a force to move the panel A1 to the left, for example, in FIG. 2 with respect to the case body 2 is applied due to inertial force to the panel A1 being housed in the case body 2. In case that such a force is applied to the panel A1, since the holding member 3 fixed to the second peripheral wall 22 b is adhered to the first surface A11 of the panel A1 by the adhering part 31, the holding member 3 receives a tensile force in the left direction in FIG. 2 to suppress the movement of the panel A1 to the left. Therefore, the circuit board A2 is held at a predetermined position inside the case body 2 without colliding with the fourth peripheral wall 22 d.

As described in the above, in the embodiment, in a state in which the holding member 3 is adhered to the panel A1, the holding member 3 extends toward the first edge E1 being parallel with and opposing the third edge E3 at which the circuit board A2 is provided. Further, in a state in which the holding member 3 is adhered to the panel A1, the holding member 3 extends toward the second edge E2 being parallel with and opposing the fourth edge E4 at which the circuit board A2 is provided. Therefore, collision with the peripheral wall 22 of the circuit board A2 that easily breaks can be prevented effectively and with a simple structure by adhering the sheet-shaped holding member 3 that can endure the tensile force to the first surface A11 of the panel A1.

With respect to a force to move the panel A1 upward or to the right in FIG. 2, the end face AE of the panel A1 may be protected by providing a holding piece between the first edge E1 of the panel A1 and the first peripheral wall 22 a and between the second edge E2 of the panel A1 and the second peripheral wall 22 b. Moreover, as described in the above, the reinforcing member 33 may be provided to the holding member 3 to increase the resistance force to the compression force of the holding member 3 to suppress the movement of the panel A1 by the holding member 3.

Moreover, as described in the above, the holding member 3 having the adhering part 31 is in contact with the panel A1 from above the panel A1. Therefore, a large load applied locally to the end face AE of the panel A1 is suppressed. Therefore, the risk of breakage of the panel A1 can be reduced. Furthermore, the conventional structure in which a holding piece is interposed between the end face AE of the panel A1 and all of the four peripheral walls 22 a to 22 d in order to prevent the movement of the panel A1 cannot be applied to the panel A1 in which the circuit board A2 is provided, for example, over the entirety of the third edge E3 and the fourth edge E4 of the panel A1. On the other hand, in the packaging case 1 in the embodiment, since the holding member 3 is adhered to the panel A1 from above the panel A1, it is possible to suppress the movement of the panel A1 even in a case that the circuit board A2 is provided over the entirety of the edge of the panel A1.

Embodiment 2

Next, a packaging case according to Embodiment 2 will be described. The points described for each configuration in Embodiment 1 can also be similarly applied to the packaging case according to Embodiment 2.

In a packaging case 1 according to the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, a first holding member 310 is provided to the first peripheral wall 22 a in proximity to a first corner C1 at which the first peripheral wall 22 a and a fourth peripheral wall 22 d intersect. Further, a second holding member 320 is provided to the second peripheral wall 22 b in proximity to a second corner C2 at which the second peripheral wall 22 b and a third peripheral wall 22 c intersect, and the second corner C2 is positioned diagonally to the first corner C1. In this case, the holding member 310 and the second holding member 320 are adhered to the panel A1 at a position being in proximity to corners AC1 and AC2 to be diagonal corners of the panel A1 being rectangular. In this way, in addition to the effect described in Embodiment 1, rotation of the panel module A around the gravity center G of the panel A1 can be suppressed effectively and breakage of the panel A1 and a circuit board A2 can be suppressed.

Specifically, a rotational force by the panel A1 around the gravity center G can be applied when load is applied to the panel A1. The first holding member 310 is provided in the vicinity of the first corner C1 of a case body 2 and the second holding member 320 is provided in the vicinity of the second corner C2 thereof. Therefore, the first holding member 310 and the second holding member 320 are adhered to positions being in proximity to the corners AC1 and AC2, respectively, of the panel A1 being most distant from the gravity center G of the panel A1. In this way, a rotation by the panel A1 around the gravity center G thereof can be suppressed effectively. In more detail, as shown in FIG. 8, in case that a rotational force indicated with an arrow AR1 is applied around the gravity center G of the panel A1, each of the first holding member 310 and the second holding member 320 resists the tensile force (see an arrow R in FIG. 8) to suppress the rotation of the panel A1. The same applies to a case in which a rotational force in the opposite orientation is applied. In this way, a rotation around the gravity center G of the panel A1 is suppressed by providing the two holding members, namely the first holding member 310 and the second holding member 320.

Being in proximity to the first corner C1 may be in a range being equal to or less than one fourth the length of the first peripheral wall 22 a, to which the holding member 3 is connected from the first corner C1, for example. Moreover, being in proximity to the second corner C2 may be in a range being equal to or less than one fourth the length of the second peripheral wall 22 b, to which the holding member 3 is connected from the second corner C2, for example.

Although single first holding member 310 is provided to the first peripheral wall 22 a and single second holding member 320 is provided to the second peripheral wall 22 b in the embodiment, yet another holding member other than what is shown can be provided to the first peripheral wall 22 a and/or the second peripheral wall 22 b.

Embodiment 3

Next, a packaging case according to Embodiment 3 will be described. The points described for each configuration in Embodiments 1 and 2 can also be similarly applied to the packaging case according to Embodiment 3.

According to the embodiment, the holding member 3 comprises a first holding member 310 extending inwardly from the first peripheral wall 22 a inside the case body 2; a second holding member 320 extending inwardly from the second peripheral wall 22 b inside the case body 2; a third holding member 330 extending inwardly from the third peripheral wall 22 c inside the case body 2; and a fourth holding member 340 extending inwardly from the fourth peripheral wall 22 d inside the case body 2. The first holding member 310 and the third holding members 330 are arranged at a symmetrical position with respect to the gravity center G of a panel A1 and the second holding member 320 and the fourth holding members 340 are arranged at a symmetrical position with respect to the gravity center G of the panel A1.

In the embodiment, in case that a force to move the panel A1 in the downward direction in FIG. 9 is applied, the first holding member 310 provided to the first peripheral wall 22 a resists the tensile force in the downward direction and suppresses the movement of the panel A1 in the downward direction. Therefore, a circuit board A2 is held at a predetermined position inside the case body 2 without colliding with the third peripheral wall 22 c.

Moreover, in case that a force to move the panel A1 in the upward direction in FIG. 9 is applied, the third holding member 330 provided to the third peripheral wall 22 c resists the tensile force in the upward direction and suppresses movement of the panel A1 in the upward direction. Therefore, a first edge E1 of the panel A1 is held at a predetermined position inside the case body 2 without colliding with the first peripheral wall 22 a.

Furthermore, in case that a force to move the panel A1 to the left direction in FIG. 9 is applied, the second holding member 320 provided to the second peripheral wall 22 b resists the tensile force in the left direction and suppresses the movement of the panel A1 in the left direction. Therefore, the circuit board A2 of the panel A1 is held at a predetermined position inside the case body 2 without colliding with the fourth peripheral wall 22 d.

Moreover, in case that a force to move the panel A1 to the right direction in FIG. 9 is applied, the fourth holding member 340 provided to the fourth peripheral wall 22 d resists the tensile force in the right direction and suppresses the movement of the panel A1 in the right direction. Therefore, a second edge E2 of the panel A1 is held at a predetermined position inside the case body 2 without colliding with the second peripheral wall 22 b.

In this way, the first holding member 310 to the fourth holding member 340 extending inwardly from the first peripheral wall 22 a to the fourth peripheral wall 22 d inside the case body 2 makes it possible to more stably hold the panel A1 inside the case body 2.

Furthermore, the sheet-shaped holding member 3 can be used to adhere the holding member 3 even to the edge having the circuit board A2. In this case, an antistatic holding member 3 being subjected to an antistatic process may be used as the holding member 3, for example, to prevent a detrimental effect to the circuit board A2, due to static electricity, for example.

CONCLUSION

(1) A packaging case according to one embodiment of the invention comprises: a case body including a bottom plate and a peripheral wall surrounding the bottom plate; and a holding member including a contact region and a coupling part, the contact region having a contact surface to be in contact with an article to be housed from above the article to be housed in case that the article to be housed is provided on a surface of the bottom plate inside the case body, and the coupling part being directly or indirectly connectable to the bottom plate and/or the peripheral wall, wherein the contact region has an adhering part on the contact surface.

(2) In the packaging case according to (1), the article to be housed may be a single panel or a plurality of panels being arranged substantially parallel with the bottom plate when the article to be housed is housed into the case body; the holding member may have a sheet shape; and the adhering part of the holding member may be adhered to an upper surface of the panel.

(3) In the packaging case according to (2), the holding member may include a non-contact region to be in non-contact with the article to be housed, the non-contact region may continuously extend from the contact region; the coupling part may be formed in the non-contact region; and a reinforcing member may be layered onto the non-contact region.

(4) In the packaging case according to any one of (1) to (3), the contact region may have a base supporting the adhering part; and the adhering part may be configured with an adhesive agent being applied on the base.

(5) In the packaging case according to any one of (1) to (4), the packaging case may further comprise an engaging member for fixing the holding member to the bottom plate and/or the peripheral wall.

(6) In the packaging case according to any one of (1) to (5), the bottom plate may have a rectangular shape, the peripheral wall may comprise a first peripheral wall, a second peripheral wall, a third peripheral wall, and a fourth peripheral wall, the second peripheral wall being provided perpendicular to the first peripheral wall, the third peripheral wall being provided in parallel with the first peripheral wall and perpendicular to the second peripheral wall, and the fourth peripheral wall being provided in parallel with the second peripheral wall, and the holding member may comprise a first holding member and a second holding member, the first holding member extending inwardly from the first peripheral wall inside the case body and the second holding member extending inwardly from the second peripheral wall inside the case body.

(7) In the packaging case according to (6), the first holding member may be provided to the first peripheral wall in proximity to a first corner at which the first peripheral wall and the fourth peripheral wall intersect, and the second holding member may be provided to the second peripheral wall in proximity to a second corner at which the second peripheral wall and the third peripheral wall intersect, and the second corner positioned diagonally to the first corner.

(8) In the packaging case according to (6), the holding member may further comprise a third holding member and a fourth holding member, the third holding member extending inwardly from the third peripheral wall inside the case body and the fourth holding member extending inwardly from the fourth peripheral wall in the case body, and the first holding member and the third holding member may be arranged at a symmetrical position with respect to a gravity center of the article to be housed, and the second holding member and the fourth holding member may be arranged at a symmetrical position with respect to the gravity center of the article to be housed.

-   -   1 Packaging case     -   2 Case body     -   21 Bottom plate     -   21 a Surface of bottomplate     -   22 Peripheral wall     -   22 a First peripheral wall     -   22 b Second peripheral wall     -   22 c Third peripheral wall     -   22 d Fourth peripheral wall     -   3 Holding member     -   3 a Coupling part     -   3 b Contact region     -   3 c Non-contact region     -   31 Adhering part     -   32 Base     -   33, 33 a, 33 b Reinforcing member     -   310 First holding member     -   320 Second holding member     -   330 Third holding member     -   340 Fourth holding member     -   4 Engaging member     -   A Article to be housed (Panel module)     -   C1 First corner     -   C2 Second corner     -   G Gravity center of panel     -   Su1 Contact surface 

1. A packaging case comprising: a case body including a bottom plate and a peripheral wall surrounding the bottom plate; and a holding member including a contact region and a coupling part, the contact region having a contact surface to be in surface contact with an article to be housed from above the article to be housed in case that the article to be housed is provided on a surface of the bottom plate inside the case body, and the coupling part being directly or indirectly connectable to the bottom plate and/or the peripheral wall, wherein the contact region has an adhering part on the contact surface.
 2. The packaging case according to claim 1, wherein the article to be housed is a single panel or a plurality of panels being arranged substantially parallel with the bottom plate when the article to be housed is housed into the case body, the holding member has a sheet shape, and the adhering part of the holding member is adhered to an upper surface of the panel.
 3. The packaging case according to claim 2, wherein the holding member includes a non-contact region to be in non-contact with the article to be housed, the non-contact region continuously extends from the contact region, the coupling part is formed in the non-contact region, and a reinforcing member is layered onto the non-contact region.
 4. The packaging case according to claim 1, wherein the contact region has a base supporting the adhering part, and the adhering part is configured with an adhesive agent being applied on the base.
 5. The packaging case according to claim 1, wherein the packaging case further comprises an engaging member for fixing the holding member to the bottom plate and/or the peripheral wall.
 6. The packaging case according to claim 1, wherein the bottom plate has a rectangular shape, the peripheral wall comprises a first peripheral wall, a second peripheral wall, a third peripheral wall, and a fourth peripheral wall, the second peripheral wall being provided perpendicular to the first peripheral wall, the third peripheral wall being provided in parallel with the first peripheral wall and perpendicular to the second peripheral wall, and the fourth peripheral wall being provided in parallel with the second peripheral wall, and the holding member comprises a first holding member and a second holding member, the first holding member extending inwardly from the first peripheral wall inside the case body and the second holding member extending inwardly from the second peripheral wall inside the case body.
 7. The packaging case according to claim 6, wherein the first holding member is provided to the first peripheral wall in proximity to a first corner at which the first peripheral wall and the fourth peripheral wall intersect, and the second holding member is provided to the second peripheral wall in proximity to a second corner at which the second peripheral wall and the third peripheral wall intersect, and the second corner is positioned diagonally to the first corner.
 8. The packaging case according to claim 6, wherein the holding member further comprises a third holding member and a fourth holding member, the third holding member extending inwardly from the third peripheral wall inside the case body and the fourth holding member extending inwardly from the fourth peripheral wall in the case body, and the first holding member and the third holding member are arranged at a symmetrical position with respect to a gravity center of the article to be housed, and the second holding member and the fourth holding member are arranged at a symmetrical position with respect to the gravity center of the article to be housed.
 9. The packaging case according to claim 1, wherein the contact region has a sheet shape and has a predetermined adhering area to be in surface contact with the article to be housed.
 10. The packaging case according to claim 1, wherein the article to be housed is a single panel module or a plurality of panel modules being arranged substantially parallel with the bottom plate when the article to be housed is housed into the case body, the panel module has a panel formed in a rectangular shape having four edges and a circuit board provided to at least one edge of the four edges, the packaging case is configured to have a gap between an outer periphery of the panel module including the circuit board and an inner surface of the peripheral wall in case that the panel module is placed in the case body and the adhering part is adhered to an upper surface of the panel. 